The Western District court’s decision Tuesday lets utility companies recoup the cost of energy-efficiency incentives for customers when they request rate increases from the Missouri Public Service Commission. But a utility can collect the revenue lost from reduced power usage only after proving the program saved energy.

The rules enacted by the Public Service Commission are meant to implement a 2009 law that allowed utilities to recover costs associated with customers using less electricity.

More than one-third of a $260 million rate hike approved last year for Ameren Missouri is devoted to recovering costs from energy-efficiency measures. Kansas City Power and Light also received compensation for energy-efficiency measures in a rate increase approved this month.